Name: Sue Wilson Unit Plan Title: Quarter 3: Human and Society: Agents of Change in Downtown Phoenix

Course/Grade: Modeling our World (Physics 2H, Math 2H Grade 9)

School Setting: A Transdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning Plan Unit Plan Duration: 9 weeks
Overview of Unit Plan: Students will engage in a Model City of Phoenix government (like Model UN) and act as the various government officials
and stakeholders as they debate a local hot topic issue (Circle K rezoning on 7
th
Street and Roosevelt?) At the end of this event, they will receive
Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for Repurposing Vacant Lots in the area, with the goal of increasing Downtown visitation and/or population density.
Students will engage in the 7-step process to understand the complexity of the problem, compare and contrast urban planning strategies
throughout the world, research intended results and unintended consequences of their plans, vision a new future for downtown, and create and
submit multi-media proposals. The unit will conclude with a second Model City of Phoenix meeting (Exhibition of Learning) where Proposals are
presented and discussed. Throughout the process, we will engage local officials and stakeholders to help students ask questions, gain
perspectives, communicate meaningfully, and take action. Approximately 1.5 hours a day will be spent working on this unit, with students
rotating through classes/workshops that zoom into related topics the rest of the day. For example, in Math/Physics blocks students will study
Forces and Motion and their role in transportation and transportation safety (more gas stations = more cars = less safe = less walkable)
Stage 1 Desired Results
ESTABLISHED GOALS
G1: SEFT: Systems Thinking: Identify drivers,
indirect drivers, perceived benefits, and
problems of an action or event. Propose
interventions that consider complex
relationships between the elements of the
system.

G2: SEFT: Futures Thinking: Imagine the
positive and negative consequences of past
and present actions on our future. Create a
vision of success for short, medium, and long-
term progress.

G3: SEFT: Values Thinking: Describe the
influence of values in decision making without
labeling the values as right or wrong.
Consider equity, justice, and social-ecological
Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
T1. Understand various levels of and stakeholders in the participatory process.
T2. Develop problem constellations to model the complexity of local and global issues.
T3. Confidence and willingness to contact stakeholders of all levels.
T4. Analyze research and conduct investigations before jumping to solutions.
T5. Respect and value for their role in making sustainable community change.


Meaning
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that
EU1: Urban planning is the design of cities in
order to balance housing, mobility, public
space, civic engagement, economic
development, and environmental policy.
Developers and planners must also consider
the values, beliefs, and traditions of the
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

EQ1: What is urban planning? What role do
culture and history play in urban planning?

EQ2: How and why do we communicate
meaningfully with various stakeholders in our
city?
integrity in intervention design.

G4: SEFT: Strategic Thinking: Develop a short,
medium, and long-term plan that achieves the
intended vision and favors long-term success
over short-term fixes. Include in the plan
methods for measuring impact and progress.

G5: SEFT: Interpersonal Thinking:
Communicate meaningfully with all
stakeholders to represent their voice in
intervention design. Incorporate stakeholders
in discussions to build support and reduce
barriers to implementation of plan.

G6: OXFAM: Knowledge and Understanding:
Develop a deeper understanding of different
cultures and societies.

G7: OXFAM: Skills: Participate in a relevant
political process, arguing rationally and
persuasively from an informed position.

G8: OXFAM: Skills: Cooperate and resolve
both minor and major conflicts through
collaboration, negotiation, mediation, and
communication.

G9: OXFAM: Values and Attitudes: Learn and
demonstrate a belief that people can improve
sustainability and equity by participating in a
problem solving and political process.

G10-__ Common Core Math Goals:
people in that community in their ideas and
plans.

EU2: Communication with various
stakeholders, both in person and through
technology, helps us understand their values,
beliefs, ideas, needs, and goals related to city
life.

EU3: The values, traditions, and beliefs of an
individual or group play a key role in forming
opinions on controversial topics. Recognition
of, and validation of the values that lead to
differing opinions can help open the lines of
communication, present opportunities for
compromise, and bring new perspective to
the brainstorming table.

EU4: Phoenix has a specific governmental
structure where decisions are made through
neighborhood, village, and city level meetings.
Downtown Phoenix could benefit from
implementation of urban planning,
development, policy ideas, and programs that
have been implemented in cities throughout
the world.

EU5: City, state, national and global culture,
political decisions, economics, events have
contributed to urban sprawl. There is a large
movement, both grass roots and institutional,
to bring people back into the city.

EU6: Change requires interaction between

EQ3: How do the values, traditions, beliefs of
an individual or group affect their opinion on a
controversial matter? How do we recognize
and validate other perspectives when opinions
differ from ours?

EQ4: How do we describe the social structures
and infrastructure in Phoenix? Are there
examples of citizen action and urban
development in cities around the world that
can help us better develop Phoenix?

EQ5: How does our past shape our future?
What is the role of the present?

EQ6: What is the relationship between
interaction and change?

EQ7: How do we take action to create
sustainable and equitable change in our
community?

EQ8: How do we evaluate and critique our
intervention impacts?

EQ9: How do social and infrastructure
environments affect individual, community,
and public behaviors, health, and safety?





G__-G__ NGSS Physical Science Goals:
G__-G__ Common Core ELA Goals:

G__-G__ Art Goals

G__-G__ Health Goals

G__-G__ World Language Goals


two or more entities. This is true for both
physical and social change.

EU7: The 7-step process and political process
are two models for taking strategic action to
make sustained and equitable changes in our
communities.

EU8: Quantitative data and testimonials allow
us to measure growth and impact of
interventions. We must have baseline data
for comparison.

EU9: The built and natural environments
shape our behaviors and this culture affects all
areas of our health and safety.


Acquisition
Students will know
K1: Impacts of population density and foot
traffic on urban systems, i.e. transportation
needs, infrastructure, economics, etc.

K2: Role of safety and convenience in
improving urban systems.

K3: Problem solving and political processes for
making sustained and equitable changes in
urban environment.

K4: Relationship between forces and motion,
both physically and socially.

Students will be skilled at
S1: Asking meaningful questions and
developing/conducting quantitative and
qualitative investigations to make sense of
them.

S2: Collecting baseline data and make
predictions using mathematical models.
Explicitly identify the assumptions and limits
of these models.

S3: Using technology to communicate
meaningfully with diverse audiences.

S4: Applying knowledge of forces and motion
K5: Importance of data in decision making and
communication.

K6: Relationship between social environment,
social behaviors, and social health.

K7: Similarities and differences between
modeling process, 7-step process, and
Engineering Design process.

K8: Awareness of current issues and events in
local community.
to discuss transportation safety and efficiency.

S5: Representing perspective of others
through role play and presentation.

S6: Conducting surveys and analyze,
synthesize, and communicate results in
meaningful ways.

S7: Writing a technical proposal that details
intervention plan, projected impacts, budget,
timeline, etc.

S8: Writing a narrative that details vision for
Downtown community.

S9: Applying elements of art to all unit
deliverables.

S10: Communicating meaningfully with
stakeholders in target and non-target
languages.
Stage 2 Evidence
Evaluative Criteria Assessment Evidence
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
0. We are working to develop a pre-
assessment that attempts to measure
global competence, problem solving
including Systems, Values, Futures,
and Strategic Thinking, and
understanding of the participatory
process.

1. Assignment Rubric that assesses the
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
1. Townhall Speech from Assigned Stakeholder Perspective: Write and deliver a 1-2
minute speech that accurately reflects the opinions, beliefs, and stance about the
proposed Circle K and the expected impacts of the development on the assigned
stakeholder. Assigned roles will include residents, Downtown advocates, Roosevelt
Row business owners, City of Phoenix officials, those who work in Downtown Phoenix,
urban planners and developers, lot owners, Circle K Corporation, and more. Speeches
will be delivered in a City Council meeting format where Freshman teachers play the
role of City Council and listen (and assess!) the various presentations.

degree to which the short speech
accurately portrays the values, needs,
and beliefs of the assigned
stakeholder and makes a persuasive
argument for or against the building
of the large Circle K station.

2. 6 Facets of Understanding Rubric and
Systems Thinking Rubric that assesses
the degree to which students make
sense of the interconnectivity and
complexity of this controversial issue.


3. Assignment Rubric that assesses the
degree to which participation in the
round table discussion accurately
portrays the impacts of the Circle K
station on transportation and safety,
public health, urban vibrancy,
economy, and environment both now
and in the future.

4. CER Rubric that assesses the degree to
which students used evidence from
the Townhall and Roundtable
Discussions to come to a decision of
whether or not to allow the new Circle
K station.

5. Global Competence Rubric, 7-Step
Process Rubric (Steps 1-5),
Assignment Rubric, and 6 Facets of
Understanding Rubric to assess
2. Problem Constellation and Understanding the Issue Blogs: Work collaboratively to
create a complexity web that identifies the action, perceived benefits, potential
problems, drivers, secondary drivers, and stakeholders. Individually, write a blog post
titled The Circle K Issue that explains the issue to the people of Downtown Phoenix.
Write a second blog post titled, Same issue, Different Country that describes how the
values, traditions, or belief system of another culture are causing controversy over
urban development.

3. Roundtable Discussion from Expert Perspectives: Use evidence and reasoning to
discuss the facts. In groups of 10, students will discuss economic, environmental,
safety, crime, health, transportation and urban development impacts of building the
Circle K in Downtown Phoenix. Students will use this platform as an opportunity to
apply their learning in the various course perspectives to this specific example. All
evidence provided in this discussion should come from cited studies. Students will be
expected to have three examples in all areas; however, they will be assigned a specific
focus area in which they will become an expert. One teacher will take notes in and
assess students in each discussion session. Notes will be shared with all students and
should be read before casting their votes.

4. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) Individual Vote: Students will cast individual Yes-No
votes for whether or not to allow the 12 pump station at 7
th
Street & Roosevelt after
vote writing a blog post titled, My Vote on Circle K Issue. In the post, students will
use the evidence and reasoning that resonated with them from the Town Hall and
Expert sessions to support their recommendation. Blog recommendations do not have
to be Yes/No; however, the vote will be a Yes/No vote.

5. Multi-media Proposal for Alternative Lot Development: Whether or not students
decide to allow the gas station or not, there will be a vacant lot (the current lot, or the
old Circle K across the street). Students will apply their learning of the values and
culture of the Downtown stakeholders and the environmental, economic,
development, safety, and transportation needs of the City to recommend an
intervention for this lot that increases population density and/or urban vibrancy of the
Downtown area. Students will explore examples of urban development ideas, policy,
and programs throughout the world, will get stakeholder input on their brainstormed
process, thinking, product, and
growth.
ideas, and will ultimately pose an intervention idea. Students must predict the change
in population density or visitation and identify possible impacts (intended and
unintended) of this intervention. Proposals will be presented as 5-10 minute multi-
media presentations with 5 minute question and answer sessions following at an end of
quarter Exhibition of Learning. Students may work individually or collaboratively,
depending on their intervention ideas, but will not be grouped until they propose their
ideas.
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Each blog post will be assessed with an agreed
upon rubric that measures the degree to
which students applied their understanding of
the course concepts and skills to a broader
topic. Students will be expected to use global
examples from countries throughout the
world in each blog post.
OTHER EVIDENCE:
Throughout the quarter, students will write blog posts that describe the impact of class topics
on cities throughout the world. For example, in Physics and Math, Why Speed Limits and Road
Widths Matter after studying Forces and Motion through Transportation Safety Lens. These
deliverables will be developed in collaboration with the Freshman Team in the upcoming
weeks.

Until then, here are a few examples of how the courses will support the overall theme:

In the study of motion, students will design and conduct investigations that study the average
speed and acceleration of cars entering and exiting the 10, on 7th street, the congestion on 7th
street and Roosevelt, and the speed of cars entering and exiting Circle K.

In forces, they will mathematically model auto-bicycle and auto-pedestrian accidents at various
auto speeds and investigate the Physics of various transportation safety interventions, helmets,
crumple zones, seatbelts, texting bans, etc.

Much of the mathematics will be embedded as modeling of real-world data, and the
expectation is that students will provide quantitative evidence and mathematical reasoning in
Deliverables 1, 3, 4, and 5 above. Also, constant speed and acceleration are two great
examples of linear and quadratic functions, respectively. Students will be expected to write a
calculator animation program that models an accelerating car colliding with a bicycle traveling
at a constant speed.
Stage 3 Learning Plan
Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction
Week 1: Who cares about the Circle K station and why? Monday/Tuesday: Pre-assessment will also serve as introductory engage activity (still
being designed, however this is the idea). Students will read the Circle K proposal submitted to City Council and respond with a yes/no/with
conditions vote and reasoning for their response. Students will then read the opposition letter by eight Downtown organizations and answer
questions regarding participatory process (for Circle K and locals), stakeholders and their values, and potential impacts of building the station.
Students will write a narrative about their vision of gas stations in 2030. Lastly, students will conduct an Internet search for articles, blogs,
research, and national and international trends related to the issue and post to Edmodo with a paragraph about why they felt this article related.
Wednesday: Teachers will guide students to identify key stakeholders, each student will be assigned a stakeholder and they will write unbiased
interview questions for stakeholder to get their opinions, reasoning, and stance on the issue. Thursday: Students will go out into the community
and/or get on the phone (teachers will help organize this to be successful) to find stakeholders and conduct their interviews. Friday: Students
will write a 1-2 minute persuasive speech, from the perspective of the interviewed stakeholder, to be delivered at Mondays Townhall meeting.

Week 2: How do we make sense of the complexity of the Circle K station issue? Monday: Townhall meeting, teachers are City Council
(Principal is Mayor!) and each student gives their persuasive speech for or against the zoning of the Circle K station. Students are expected to
take notes during other speeches and to assess three of their peers. Tuesday/Wednesday: Teachers will guide students to develop problem
constellations around the action Circle K will build a 12 pump gas station at 7
th
Street & Roosevelt. These are complexity webs that identify
perceived benefits, potential consequences, drivers, secondary drivers, root causes, and stakeholders (at every level). Students will use
published research, articles, and previous stakeholder interviews to quantify web where possible. Thursday: Students will create blogs and begin
writing post titled, The Circle K Issue. Friday: Students will research an issue (many ideas will be provided, but they can also find their own) in
another country where values and traditions have conflicted with urban and economic development, for example building subways somewhere
like Athens or Rome where archeological goldmines could hinder development. What is important to preserve, what can be sacrificed, and who
makes these decisions in any metropolitan area? Or, what happens in cities where its inhabitants need access to land to grow food? Or what
role does economics/poverty/wealth play? (compare Saudi Arabia with India)? Or, what role do superstitions (fairy trees in Ireland) and/or past
history play (the wall in Berlin)? What if the city is on a fault line? Or doesnt naturally have much access to water? Students will begin blog posts
titled Same Issue, Different Country. Both blog posts are due Wednesday of Week 3.

Week 3: What impacts do various experts think the Circle K will have on society? Monday: No school MLK Holiday
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: Guest speakers that represent Circle K, Local Neighborhood Associations, City Government, Researchers (study
on crime at convenience stores), environmentalists, economists, transportation planners, public health officials, and city developers. Students
will tweet highlights from the discussions to the rest of the Freshman students. Friday: Students will organize their thoughts (graphic organizer)
for Monday Roundtable Discussions. Students will be required to have three examples to share from each perspective, but will be an expert in
an assigned focus area. Guest presenters from the week will be asked to share resources (articles, published reports, manuals, etc) that give
further insight into their focus area and its ties to the Circle K issue. Student experts will be required to read this report and add the contents to
their repertoire.

Week 4: Monday: What is my stance on the Circle K issue and why? Groups of 10 students each (one or more from each expert focus area) will
engage in a Roundtable Discussion forum. Teachers will act as facilitators and note-takers while students engage in rich discussion about the
positive and negative impacts of the proposed Circle K site. Information presented in this session should be solely based on fact (from cited
sources or expert presenters) not opinions and values of the stakeholders. Notes/Highlights from each session will be shared out to the rest of
the Freshman class on Edmodo and all are expected to read and comment. Tuesday: Students will write a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning piece from
their own perspective where they support or oppose the zoning of the Circle K station. Wednesday: Finish CER piece, calculate Yes/No student
vote. Thursday: Student groups of 10, different groups, role play City Council meeting to discuss and rule on Circle K station. Decisions can be
Yes vote, No vote, or Yes with conditions votes. Groups will share out their decisions in CER format. Friday: Compare and contrast group
decisions with each other and with the actual decision of the City of Phoenix (assuming they actually vote on this sometime soon and quit
postponing weekly! FYI: the current vote is about giving a liquor license to Circle K within close proximity to residential area, opponents think
Circle K will decide not to build if they do not get expanded liquor license so they are fighting this very hard.) If the topic has not yet been
decided, students will email their CER pieces to their local legislators. If it is decided, we will work to have City Councilpersons come in to class
to discuss their reasoning for voting the way they did.

Week 5: What root causes should we address with our lot development plan? (If no vote, then it is still a vacant lot that needs developing, if
yes vote, the Circle K across the street will be vacant and that lot will need to be developed) Students will receive a Request For Proposal for
ideas to develop the vacant lot (we will work with Roosevelt Row and City of Phoenix to write this RFP to make it realistic.) Students will be
tasked with proposing an intervention/plan for the lot that increases Downtown population density and/or increases the urban vibrancy of
Downtown Phoenix. Whether people agree with Circle K station or not, it is fair to say that developers did not consider the many needs of the
Downtown area before proposing the station. Monday thru Wednesday, students will identify a problem related to the vacant lot, identify
causes and impacts of this problem, unpack the causes using the 5 Whys Protocol and then use their answers to identify root causes of the
identified problem. On Thursday, students will write a narrative that illustrates their vision of 7
th
Street and Roosevelt in 2030. On Friday,
students will participate in a gallery walk to share their process, work, and the root causes they have decided to address, as well as their 2030
vision of Downtown Phoenix.

Week 6: How can we develop the empty lot? How can we evaluate our intervention ideas? Students will spend Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday researching urban development ideas, plans, policies, and programs that address their identified root cause that have been or are
being implemented in cities throughout the world. Thursday and Friday, students will use their learning from the Circle K station issue
discussions to develop a quantitative system and criteria for evaluating potential lot development ideas. By Sunday, students will submit (to
Edmodo) a list of potential intervention ideas (both simple and crazy!) and their criteria for evaluation.

Week 7: What are the intended and unintended consequences of our intervention idea? Monday: no school. Tuesday, students will work in
pairs to use their criteria to evaluate potential intervention ideas in order to determine the intervention that best addresses their root cause and
provides a path to their 2030 vision. Wednesday, students will write short statements to describe their intervention idea and the root cause it
addresses in the middle of butcher paper. Students will rotate through a number of proposals and identify stakeholders, perceived benefits, and
potential problems associated with this plan. Thursday and Friday, students will create problem constellations that identify drivers, secondary
drivers, perceived benefits, potential problems, and stakeholders for their plan and contact three stakeholders (different categories) to get
feedback on their plan.

Week 8: What are the costs/benefits of this plan? Monday, students will take their intervention idea through the SCAMPER process (a
brainstorming protocol that encourages divergent thinking, and then refilter through their criteria to reconverge on an intervention idea.
Tuesday thru Thursday, students will develop cost (financial and impacts) and benefit (economic and impact) estimates and methods/potential
methods for estimating/measuring these numbers. Friday, students will begin to answer the questions addressed in the RFP, including strategies
for garnering support for this intervention from stakeholders. Throughout the week, community developers, planners, and business people will
work with students to ask questions and pose considerations for their plans.

Week 9: How do we best communicate our plans to stakeholders? Students will spend the week answering RFP questions in detail and then
creating a multi-media presentation that addresses the RFP requirements and meaningfully communicates the vision and plan to stakeholders.
Time will be given daily and opportunities for feedback and help with technology will exist daily.

Week 10: How do we make our plans a reality? Monday, students will share their presentations with a partner or another group and follow a
protocol for giving constructive criticism. They will then have time for final touches and changes based on feedback. Tuesday, students will
share their proposals in mini-City Council meetings (12-15 presentations each). Students will have 5-10 minutes to share presentation and then
5 minutes for Q&A sessions and feedback. City Councils will consist of teachers, administrators, upperclassman, parents (one parent is the
former Mayor of Phoenix, but we dont tell the other students so the student can maintain his identity and not become the Mayors kid), urban
planners and developers, local advocates, business owners, City officials, etc. Students will evaluate each presentation in their City Council
meeting. Wednesday, students will write Self Reflection and Assessment (with guided questions) about their participation, progress, and
performance regarding global competence, participatory process, and problem-solving process Thursday, Freshmen will meet with Seniors to
discuss Senior Studio projects and ways that they have, can, and will take action in their communities. Freshmen will make an action plan of
ways they can improve their communities now and in the future.